Carlsberg buys huge UK soft drink firm for £3.3BILLION as Brits shun booze

CARLSBERG yesterday bought the maker of Robinsons squash as it bids to appeal to booze-free Gen Zers.

The brewer’s £3.3billion deal for Britvic, the UK’s biggest maker of soft drinks, means it will sell tipples such as J2O alongside its beers.

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Britvic also makes and sells Pepsi, 7UP and Tango under licence from PepsiCo, which has approved the deal.

Carlsberg boss Jacob Aarup-Andersen told The Sun that the deal had partly been driven by younger consumers shunning alcohol.

He added: “Beer will still be our core product, but we are seeing a huge structural trend towards low and no-alcoholic drinks and that is a growth opportunity for us.”

Yesterday, the Danish company also spent £206million buying out pub giant Marston’s from its cask ale joint venture.

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It will now make brands including Pedigree, Hobgoblin and Young’s.

Mr Aarup-Andersen said there were no plans to shift making of the British ales or Britvic drinks overseas.

He said: “We have spent £3.3billion on a deal in a massive vote of confidence in the UK.

"We first brought beer to the UK in 1868 and have seen many different governments. It is always a good place to do business.

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“We are confident Brits will keep drinking our beer, which is, after all, probably the best in the world.”